


Of ALL The Possible Scenarios

by Ri (miniminis_ri)



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Awesome James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Gen, Hurt Peter Parker, James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark Friendship, POV James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Rhodey Meets Peter Parker, author doesn't know anything about medicine, author doesn't know anything about stab wounds, he stops a mugging, i'm just winging this shit, peter parker getting stabbed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-19
Updated: 2019-07-19
Packaged: 2020-07-08 19:00:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19874485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miniminis_ri/pseuds/Ri
Summary: Rhodey decides to take a walk around the streets of Queens when he meets one Peter Parker. Only, Parker is sporting a pretty bad stab wound in the back of an ally.





	Of ALL The Possible Scenarios

When Tony Stark (and James Rhodes, by extension) first moved into New York City, Rhodey was excited.

Of course, he’s been to NYC before, but visiting a city was a million ways different than living in it. Duh. And before long, Rhodey found himself deeply enjoying the crowded place.

It simply felt like home.

Back then—when they first moved—Rhodey used to walk aimlessly around the city whenever he was free. He liked just walking without a purpose or a destination he has to reach, plus the residents liked seeing a ‘hero’ walking next to them. One of them told Rhodey that it gave them an extra sense of safety, having one their heroes out and about, and it made Rhodey smile for days afterwards.

(And, mostly, he liked discovering new places to eat.)

But now, after the team’s (quite inevitable—have you _met_ Steve?) fallout, he rarely left the compound. Sometimes, he told himself that it was because of his injury that he couldn’t go out and walk, but anyone who’s anyone knows that Tony made his leg braces ready for him to do any sort of activity he’d put his mind to.

Rhodey knew he was pushing the matter away, and it was slowly stressing him out and annoying him, and that just _wouldn’t do_ , to steal Dr. Sarah’s words. So, he decided, today he’ll drive out and take a very, very long walk around one of his favorite cities.

When he walked into the kitchen that morning in sweatpants and an old MIT hoodie, he saw Tony in the kitchen. “Good morning, Tony!” he greeted a little too cheerfully.

Tony grunted in reply. He wasn’t a morning person, and Rhodey reveled in good-naturedly ruining his morning further. Still, that didn’t explain why the grumpy man was awake at six a.m. on a Monday morning, but there he was, brewing coffee like it wasn’t anybody business.

Which, honestly, it really wasn’t, but since when had Rhodey been anybody?

“Why are you up this early?” Rhodey asked as he took a water bottle from the fridge. Come to actually think of it, the man probably didn’t even sleep the night.

Before Rhodey could interrogate him about that, though, Tony actually answered. “Kid has a parent-teacher meeting all day today. His aunt has work to do, so I’m going.”

Rhodey raised a skeptical eyebrow, “So _you_ ’re going?” Just like that?

Tony turned to Rhodey with a frown marring his face, “I am his other guardian, Rhodey.” He spoke his words slowly, like he was explaining to a five-year-old, and, okay, Rhodey shouldn’t have annoyed him this early in the morning, but!

“And I still didn’t meet this kid of yours.” Rhodey returned, “Is he even real?”

Tony grimaced like, _why do I even put up with you?_ before saying, “Not my fault your luck’s so bad! I honestly don’t know how you manage to be out whenever he comes.”

“Yeah, me neither.” Rhodey shook his head.

Tony had become this kid—Peter—‘s guardian around three months ago. He said that they’ve been hanging out for two years, ever since he brought him to the Leipzig Airport Fight ( _“Which was supposed to be a calm negotiation, Rhodey, so don’t look at me like that!”_ Tony had insisted. And Rhodey had simply replied, _“Have you_ met Steve _, Tony?!”_ ).

And they gradually grew closer until Pepper told Tony to just become a guardian because _honestly, Tony, he’s practically your son anyway, might as well write it down_.

“Well, I’m out,” he called over his shoulder as he walked to the garage.

Rhodey drove until he reached Queens. He didn’t have a real reason to start from there, he just did. Maybe it was because that’s where Peter’s from, or maybe not. He didn’t dwell on it. Whatever.

He walked for an hour in the not-so-quiet streets of Queens. Despite being busy, what with everyone going to work or school all at once, it was peaceful. He liked it very much.

The peacefulness didn’t last, though. A block away from him, a man hurried out of an ally, bloody knife in his hand. Rhodey attempted to catch him, but he was too fast for him and his leg braces. He turned back to the ally when he heard a feminine cry and a low groan of pain.

He rushed in, and the woman yelled for him to hurry, “ _Please!_ Help! He’s been stabbed!”

Rhodey reached her and found her crouching near a teenage boy’s body. His back was facing them, and he was curled around a bleeding gash in his abdomen, trying to press down on it.

“What happened?!” he demanded, in what Tony called his ‘Colonel voice’.

The woman had tears running down her cheeks along with mascara and snot? “A man was trying to mug me, but this boy stopped him and got himself stabbed. Please, make sure he’ll be okay!” she wailed.

Rhodey nodded as he turned the boy on his back. He was met with the face of a thankfully conscious brunet, but the kid’s breaths were too ragged for comfort, even by stabbed-people’s standards. He was obviously very hurt, and judging by the state of ally, the cut was probably already infected.

He took off his hoodie to press it down on the gash, “Call the ambulance,” he told the woman, and looked up to face the boy. He frowned at Rhodey, “Y-you’re Colonel Rhodes!”

Rhodey smiled at him. Good. He needed to distract him from his wound.

But he also needed to contact his parents. “Yes, kid. I am. Now tell me, is there anyone I can call for you?”

The boy nodded slightly. “He’s gonna—be so—pissed off… don’t… don’t call,” he added to the woman.

Rhodey frowned, what in the hell? “Breathe with me, kiddo. Who’s he?”

“Tony,” the kid gasped and pointed to his pocket.

Rhodey bit his lip. This Tony guy must be his older brother or step-dad, and he might be a doctor or a nurse, what with the boy’s reluctance to call the ambulance. He waved at the lady to stop her from calling and reached down the kid’s pocket to take his phone. “What’s the password?”

“Iron—man,” the kid tried to laugh, but coughed instead, the blood on Rhodey’s hoodie spread faster.

Rhodey steadied his slightly shaking figure and quickly typed in the password. He of all people couldn’t judge about stupid, predictable passwords (he still cringed at the thought of WARMACHINEROX, no matter how cool and okay it sounded at the time).

He opened the kid’s contacts list and dialed the number labeled simply ‘Tony’. Somebody picked up at the second ring, and to say that Rhodey was surprised was an understatement. A huge one.

“Hey, Pete. I’m on my way out of the compound, don’t _—_ ” came Tony— _his_ Tony—‘s voice until he interrupted him.

“ _Tony?!_ ”

“ _Rhodey?!_ Why do you have Peter’s phone? What happened?!”

Rhodey looked down at the kid, who showed him a ghost of a smile on his pale face. _This_ was Peter? Tony’s kid? _Spider-Man_? Well, thinking about it, Rhodey really shouldn’t have expected any less from a superhero. Tony’s kid, too; the selflessness radiated off him.

“Your kid’s been stabbed, Tones. Mugging.”

Tony groaned in response. Rhodey heard Iron Man’s distinct repulsors as he switched the call to the in-helmet sound system, “Again?”

Rhodey told the lady to leave and take care of herself and promised that Peter will be in perfect health really soon. He settled down next to Peter and secured the hoodie tighter around the wound, preparing him for a flight with Iron Man.

“That sounds very worrying, Tony,” he said.

Peter threw his head back in a silent laugh as Tony murmured, “You don’t even know where worry starts and ends.”

Rhodey grinned at Peter as he hung up on Tony, and they sat waiting for the man to arrive. He kept an eye on Peter’s breaths and talked to him make sure that he stays awake.

“So, you are Tony’s _in_ famous kid, huh?—” Peter frowned and Rhodey raised an eyebrow at him—“Anyway, just this morning I was talking to him about meeting you. Honestly didn’t expect it to happen this way.”

Peter smiled at him and tilted his head to the side, and damnit if he didn’t look exactly like Tony when he was his age. “Yeah, you’re right. I should’ve. That was dumb of me.”

“Peter Benjamin Parker, do you actually enjoy giving me gray hairs?” Tony arrived, landing on Peter’s other side and looking him over.

He reached out, held Peter up bridal style and silently directed nanites to cover Peter’s body in a protective shell. So they looked like Iron Man and Iron Man, Jr., Rhodey shook his head.

“Good, kid?” Tony asked.

Peter nodded, “And thanks, Colonel,” he said quietly.

Rhodey nodded at him and watched them launching into the air and towards the compound. He sighed as he walked the long distance back to his car. Of _all_ the ways he imagined meeting Tony’s kid, he really should’ve imagined this.

He was grateful, though, for deciding to go out on a walk today. Who knows what would’ve happened if he didn’t see Peter today? That woman might’ve called the ambulance, and Peter’s secret could’ve been discovered. Or he might’ve bled out somehow, or…

Rhodey didn’t even _know_ the kid, and he was already shuddering at the thought of losing him.

He had a feeling he would be calling Peter his nephew instead of ‘Tony’s kid’ sooner rather than later.


End file.
